Welcome to the Pre-Health Professions Web Page!
Introduction
Welcome to the Pre-Health Professions Web Pages! We hope that the
information here will help you as you begin to think about a career in
the medical, dental, or allied health fields. You are also encouraged to
stop by the offices of the
PreMedical/PreDental Advisory Committee members; we will be happy
to answer your questions and advise you as you plan your course schedule.
You can major in any subject as you prepare to apply to
medical or dental school. Think of your undergraduate years as your
last best chance to really pursue your interests, even if they seem
unrelated to medicine! You may never again have the chance to take
courses in Literature or Fine Arts, so do it now!
However, as you plan your schedule, keep in mind that certain courses
are required of you BEFORE you take the qualifying exams (MCAT, DAT)
in the spring semester of your junior year. These courses include:
- One year of Biology, with lab
- One year of General Chemistry, with lab
- One year of Organic Chemistry, with lab
- One year of General Physics, with lab
- One year of English
- One semester of Calculus
As you plan your courses, keep in mind the following:
- The year of General Chemistry with lab is a prerequisite for the year
of Organic Chemistry with lab. It will therefore take two years (assuming no
summer school) to complete the required Chemistry coursework.
- Calculus is a prerequisite to General Physics with lab. Depending on
where you place in the math sequence when you enter Kean, it will take a
minimum of 1.5 years (again, assuming no summer school), and perhaps
significantly longer, to complete your math requirements.
- Your ability to read written passages, grasp their meaning, and answer
a series of questions about those passages, is critical to your performance
on the MCAT/DAT. Any courses you can take that will get you READING are
therefore highly beneficial. We also recommend subscribing to a weekly
newsmagazine such as US News & World Report, and reading it through each week.
(A subscription like this will also come in useful when it's time to go
on interviews, and the admissions committee expects you to be informed on
current events!)
To see a timeline of what you should be doing each year of your
academic career, please
click here.
Using your summer productively will greatly enhance your chances of
being accepted to medical or dental school. Brochures for different
enrichment programs are posted on the bulletin board on the first floor
of the Science Building, near the Biology Department Office (C-124);
additional brochures are available directly from Dr. Vassiliou.
For a list of summer research opportunities,
click here.
For students interested in going to medical school, the
Medical College Admission Test
(MCAT) is required. It is given in April and August
of each year. It is strongly recommended that you take the
April test before you apply to medical schools. If you need to retake it, you
may do so in August. However, do not use the April test as a practice!
If you are truly not prepared for the April test, wait until August, and
study hard over the summer. If you take it for the first time in August,
the medical schools will not receive your scores until late October,
which substantially decreases your chances for admission. In addition,
you will not have to wait another year before applying to schools.
For students interested in going to dental school, the Dental
Admission Test (DAT) is required. It is given in a computerized
format, at a time that you schedule. As with the MCAT,
it is strongly recommended that you take it in April or May.
Most schools prefer a single composite letter from the PreMedical/PreDental
Advisory Committee. It is your responsibility to check in with the Chair of
the Committee frequently and keep track of which professors have sent letters;
the committee Chair will only write the letter when your file contains enough
letters. The composite letter should contain input from 2-3
science professors and 1-2 non-science professors. You will need to
give a form to your professors, asking them to complete it and return
it to Dr. Vassiliou. (You can get a copy of the form from
Dr. Vassiliou, or you can print it from
this web page.)
Some tips before you ask your professors to complete the form:
- Get to know your professors.
- Give each recommendor a profile of yourself, indicating your
experiences, hobbies and interests.
- You have the legal right to see your letters of recommendation. You
will be asked whether or not you wish to waive this right. You are
definitely allowed not to waive this right. However, if you waive your
right of access to the letters, the admissions committees will assume
the letter writers were completely honest in their evaluations, and the
letters will be weighed more heavily in your favor.
- Ask for your letters early; remember that letters are not prepared
or mailed in August. You should have them ready to send out as
soon as you receive your secondary applications (or at the time you
submit your preliminary application for veterinary school, and for
some dental schools). Some professors take quite a while to write and
submit the letters. It is your responsibility to make sure they are
received by the appropriate deadlines. Find out if your professors
will be here over the summer. If not, ask for the letters well before
they leave. You should give your recommendors at least one month's notice
to write the letters.
- Think of people other than professors who might write you a good
evaluation. Have you worked closely with a professor doing research,
or with a doctor that you have shadowed quite a bit? What about
someone who supervised you closely with a special project?
- Letters of recommendation should be:
- From someone who knows you well
- From someone who can speak well of your intelligence,
personality, and motivation toward your chosen career
- Recent
- From someone you have worked with in an academic/professional
capacity (except for peer/character recommendations)
The PreMedical/PreDental Advisory Committee will not begin work on your
letter until we have received from you (pre)-addressed, stamped
envelopes (no return address) for the schools to which you are
applying, and a completed
Composite Letter Request Form. The committee
needs one month's notice when preparing your composite letter for the
first time. Once your letter has been written, it is kept in your
file; additional letters can be sent out upon request. Please provide the
additional addressed, stamped envelopes to Dr. Vassiliou along with your
Social Security number and a phone number where you can be reached if he
has any questions, allowing two weeks' notice for additional letters
to be mailed.
When filling out the application,
- Follow all instructions carefully!!! This may seem obvious now, but
the applications are quite detailed, and making the smallest of
mistakes may delay the processing of your application, or cause
incorrect information to be sent to the schools to which you are
applying. It is much better to take the time now to make sure you fill
out the application correctly, than to wait to correct a mistake later!
- If at all possible, submit your applications electronically via the web.
This will lead to faster processing times for your application and will
reduce the possibility of error, as well.
- If using the paper application (as opposed to the electronic version),
type it!!! While most application services will allow legibly
hand-written applications, this is more likely to cause errors. Also,
a typed application looks nicer, and it will be seen by the schools!
- After submitting your preliminary application, you will receive a copy
of your profile from the application service. Carefully review this
information immediately, and follow the instructions for changing any
incorrect information. Depending on the information that is incorrect,
you may also want to contact the individual schools, since it may be a
while until they receive the updated information.
- Request a copy of your transcripts from all schools you have attended
now, so that you can refer to them when filling out the application.
You will need official transcripts later, but the academic information
you list on your application must match the information on your
transcripts.
- Apply as early as possible, even if you have not taken your
standardized tests!
- Be aware of all schools' deadlines!!!
- Do not send your application before the earliest date listed, or it
will be returned (except for AACPMAS).
- Make sure you have an application for the appropriate entering class!
- Proofread the application carefully before sending it. Make sure all
required information, including appropriate fee, is included.
- Answer all questions honestly, including any questions about academic
performance, conduct violations, or criminal charges. If you have
questions about how to note criminal charges, contact Student Legal
Services. Questions regarding suspension or conduct violations should
be directed to Student Services. Most applications provide a place to
explain such incidents. Explain them honestly and openly, without
making excuses. If you have any questions about how to explain these
incidents, consult with Student Legal Services and/or with an advisor.
- Permanent address - list an address that you do not expect to change
over the next year (such as your parents')
- Preferred mailing address - Correspondence will be sent here. If you
move, contact the centralized application service and all schools to
which you have applied immediately. Do not miss that letter offering
you an interview!!!
- Photocopy all pages of your application before sending it. If it gets
lost, you will want that information to fill out a new one!
- Remember to include an address and postage on any acknowledgement
receipt cards that require them.
- Many schools only accept in-state residents, or strongly prefer them.
You may only be a resident of one state. If you are not sure of which
state you are a resident, contact the schools to which you plan to apply.
When you find out you have been selected for an interview, first, relax!
Then, go visit Dr. Vassiliou in C-135 to tell him the good news, and to
get copies of two useful articles on preparing for an interview.
When preparing for an interview, also visit the web site
www.interviewfeedback.com. This is a web site where prospective
medical students can post anonymous comments about the medical schools
where they most recently interviewed. Again, every student comes from
a different perspective and will have different experiences, however
this may help you gain another perspective about a particular school.
The URLs list on the premedical bulletin board is reproduced here,
with active links to the various sites.
If you have already completed a Bachelor's degree and are missing
the necessary prerequisites, a Post-Baccalaureate Program will enable you
to take the prerequisite courses and prepare for the MCAT exam. If you
were unsuccessful in your initial application to medical schools, and
want to enhance your credentials, a Post-Bac Program might also be an
effective approach.
There are two websites that list (with links) the various post-
baccalaureate programs that are available: one site is housed at
the AAMC,
and the other at Syracuse University.